Türkiye is marking the 10th anniversary of the failed July 15, 2016 coup d’état, with Istanbul’s memorials and monuments serving as the backdrop for solemn commemorations honoring the civilians and security personnel who resisted the putsch.
Key sites of resistance included what is now the July 15 Martyrs Bridge, Saraçhane, Çengelköy, Atatürk Airport, Istanbul Police Headquarters, the Türk Telekom regional headquarters in Acıbadem and the Orhanlı toll booths.
Nationwide, 253 people were killed and more than 2,700 were injured while confronting the coup attempt, which was orchestrated by the FETÖ terrorist organization.
Among the city’s main commemorative sites is the July 15 Memory Museum, located at the entrance to the July 15 Martyrs Bridge. The museum documents the coup attempt alongside the history of military coups in Türkiye and abroad. Its exhibits include a civilian car crushed by a military tank during the events, immersive projection rooms recreating the night’s atmosphere with authentic footage and sound recordings, and personal belongings linked to those who resisted the coup.
Artifacts on display include the mobile phone used by journalist Hande Fırat during President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan’s televised FaceTime call urging citizens to take to the streets, as well as shoes worn by victims and survivors and personal items belonging to Sergeant Major Ömer Halisdemir, who became one of the symbols of the resistance. Nearly 2 million people have visited the museum since it opened.
Nearby, the July 15 Martyrs Memorial features one cypress tree and one rose for each of the 253 victims, with their names inscribed beneath a steel-domed monument symbolizing national unity.
Elsewhere in the city, the Saraçhane July 15 Memorial depicts civilians preparing to confront the coup plotters through lifelike sculptures based on security camera footage, while the July 15 Martyrs Fountain in Çengelköy uses a single 35-ton block of marble shaped like a teardrop and a blood droplet to symbolize sacrifice.
Additional monuments in Bağcılar and Beşiktaş commemorate the resistance through symbolic architecture emphasizing national unity, democracy and remembrance, ensuring the legacy of July 15 is passed on to future generations.
